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AMERICAN STYLE PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRIES

 

These are quite yummy for Shrove Tuesday. Ok so you can’t flip them but none the less they are fun to make .  I tried these recently in the States and they were huge accompanied by bacon and eggs-we were full even after 8 hours of determined sightseeing and absolutely no lunch.  Be prepared for the first one (or two) to be less than perfect either too rubbery (pan not hot enough) or burnt (pan too hot) which can easily be remedied and then you are on your way to pancake heaven.  Try them with maple syrup (not as sweet as you might imagine), golden syrup or plain and simple fresh lemon juice and sugar.  I ate mine with blueberries but bananas would be good too perhaps with a dollop of creme fraiche or if you are feeling wild double cream. (coming soon Traditional Pancakes that you can flip) Continue reading “AMERICAN STYLE PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRIES”

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ALL ABOUT KALE!

Black Kale ‘Cavalo Nero’

Well obviously this is not ALL about Kale…but it is something delicious.  If you are a gardener cook like me the pickings in the vegetable garden are a bit lean at this time of year but  this morning I found  a dark and  handsome stranger standing nearly 1m high with a jaunty cap of snow.  This is the lovely Italian kale ‘Cavalo Nero’.  The beautiful crinkly leaves can be a tad on the tough side so try to pick only the younger leaves. If you need to use the older parts then  then tear the leaf from the woody mid rib and banish it to the compost heap pronto.  Once you have the leaves wash  carefully and then shred them.  It is easy to find bags of shredded green kale in any supermarket if you can’t get your hands on the real thing. If you are that way inclined have a go at growing your own-they are easy to get going but you will have to take precautions against pesky cabbage whites and pigeons.  I am going to cook them with the spicy Spanish sausage Chorizo. This is strongly flavoured with garlic and paprika and a good match for the hearty kale. You can buy the sausage  sliced but chunks of whole Chorizo are best for cooking.

 

 

Winter Kale with Chorizo
A very good way to eat up your greens!

Continue reading “ALL ABOUT KALE!”

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ROASTED ROOTS RECIPE TO WARM YOUR HEART

Roasted carrots, parsnips, squash and sweet potato

A pale winter sun is just making it’s way over Dent in the Lake District and it’s distinctly chilly. I want some warming food to cuddle up with and root vegetables are the seasonal stars. Here is a roasted roots recipe for a winters day.
Carrots, parsnips, swede and butternut squash are simply roasted in the oven until sticky and sweet …………………….If you can get them Jerusalem artichokes would be delicious as well, I must plant  these this year and take care as they can be thugs in the veg patch. I have thrown in some sprigs of thyme a robust enough herb to cope with the flavours of the roots. I’m happy to eat these winter roasts on their own, perhaps with some shavings of salty Parmesan cheese, but they go well with chunky sausages (Cumberland of course!), roast chicken or any other meat.

GORGEOUSLY STICKY WINTER ROOTS WITH AROMATIC THYME  Continue reading “ROASTED ROOTS RECIPE TO WARM YOUR HEART”

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THE VERY BEST FRUITY CHRISTMAS PUDDING RECIPE

The very best fruity Christmas pudding.

This homemade Christmas Pudding recipe is my mum’s. It is very easy to make-just an assembly job.  What, I think, puts most people off is the length of time it takes to cook. You really need to steam it for at least 4-5 hours which results in a  light texture. -This pudding is packed with fruit and it’s very different from any shop-bought puddings that I have tasted. I find these very oversweet and they often have a ‘pasty’ texture that I don’t care for!. You can make it a few weeks in advance or a few days in advance.

The Very Best Fruity Christmas Pudding

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FESTIVE PORK WITH ORANGE AND CRANBERRIES

 

Festive Pork with orange and cranberries

 

 This is one of my favourite festive dishes and it always appears some time over the Christmas holidays. The mix of warm spices, cranberries and orange go well together with the tender pork and it looks stunning on the festive table.  You can make it ahead of time or well ahead and freeze it.  I like to have a few dishes tucked away ready to be whisked out at the last minute so that I don’t have to miss any of the Christmas fun and this is perfect.  Like lots of dishes it is even better re-heated the next day.

Continue reading “FESTIVE PORK WITH ORANGE AND CRANBERRIES”